Preparation

To make the filling, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream the butter with the agave nectar until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the cinnamon and flour and mix well. Stir in the walnuts and raisins. Refrigerate to firm the mixture for a minimum of 2 hours.

Begin the dough by cooking the potato in boiling water for 25 to 30 minutes, until soft. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the starchy water. Mash the potato and reserved water until smooth. Set aside and cool to room temperature.

Place the yeast, warm water, and 2 tablespoons of the agave nectar in a food processor. Pulse a few times to dissolve the yeast. Let this mixture sit about 10 minutes, or until foamy. Add the cooled mashed potato, milk, the remaining ¼ cup agave nectar, the melted butter, and salt. Pulse several times to mix. Add the flour a little at a time, pulsing to blend until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Gently knead by hand for approximately 1 minute, or until smooth and elastic. Place the kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl. Let rest for 20 minutes. Punch down the dough and turn in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a draft-free area to rise. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, prepare the glaze. Place all the glaze ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate until ready to use. The mixture will thicken slightly when chilled.

To prepare the sticky buns, line 2 rectangular jelly roll pans with parchment paper and lightly spray with canola oil spray. Gently punch the dough down. Roll out on a lightly floured work surface to form an 18- by 20-inch rectangle. (The dough will be sticky to work with.) Spread the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Beginning from a long side, carefully roll the dough up to form a long log. Slice the log into 18 equal pieces. Place the slices onto the prepared pans with the edges of the rolls lightly touching together. Fill 1 pan entirely before starting the next, so most rolls will fit snuggly together. Brush the tops with the melted butter. Cover with a damp kitchen cloth and place in a warm, draft-free area. Allow the rolls to rise for 40 to 45 minutes, until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

When the rolls are fully risen, bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let the rolls cool on the pans for 10 to 15 minutes before drizzling with the glaze. Pull apart gently to serve. Best served warm.

Store the leftover rolls in the refrigerator and reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes before serving.

SELECT LATEST REVIEWS

I would venture to say the bitter after taste is most likely from the agave nectar. This recipe has a huge amount of it in the filling.

A Cook from Holcomb, Kansas / 01.10.12

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I wound up making these in two stages. I made the dough, wrapped in plastic wrap and put into an oversized plastic freezer bag and refrigerated overnight. The following morning I brought to room temperature and continued with the recipe. I also made the filling the day before and refrigerated overnight. The dough was very good, but no mistaking that these were whole wheat and not regular sticky buns. I didn't love the filling either. It was "gloppy" to work with and fair tasting at best. I'm not sure why, but there was a slight bitter aftertaste to these sticky buns. Worth trying once, but I probably won't bother with them again.

sussrum1 from NJ / 01.09.12

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Blah!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Cook from memphis / 01.08.12

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I made these for Inn guests. I got great complements, even from those who do not like sweets as a general rule saying they seemed "decadent" but we not icky sweet.
The dough was very slack and there was almost too much filling. I could have added more flour, but I was hesitant too because I wanted to keep them moist. It was a bit too moist, though. When I first served them about 15 minutes after they came out of the oven, they seemed pretty doughy. Interestingly, they got firmer throughout the day while still maintaining their moist nature. I think next time I will add a bit more flour, roll it out larger so as to incorporate all of the filling, and allow them to "set" a bit before serving. Thanks, Epicurous!

BonaDeaCafe from Bisbee, AZ / 01.08.12

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Fradie, I'm with A Cook from Missouri. My husband, in whose family diabetes does not run, was diagnosed two years ago. It is difficult for him to find foods he enjoys, especially sweet breads. I haven't yet tried this recipe; I rated it four forks just from a thorough read-through, but I've made other similar recipes. I'll rate it again once I've made and tasted them. Also, in response to jbackler, you neglected to mention the 5 grams of fiber per serving in this recipe as opposed to ZERO fiber grams in the Pillsbury equivalent.

ProlifeMama from Columbus OH / 01.07.12

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I cannot wait to make these! For all of us out here who have children with dairy allergies, thank you for offering a recipe that does not include butter, milk, or cream cheese!

A Cook from Missouri / 01.06.12

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If you make these with unsalted butter and (powdered) soy milk, according to myfitnesspal.com, the nutritional info PER SERVING:
calories 387
carbs 65g
fat 20g
protein 8g
Or, you could just bake the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls for 400 calories...